Skip to main content

Punishment Isn’t Accountability — It’s AZDOC’s Favorite Shortcut to Failure

 

AZDOC loves to talk about accountability.

They say it like punishment automatically equals responsibility.

It doesn’t.

Arizona Department of Corrections has confused consequence with accountability, and that confusion is one of the main reasons it fails so consistently.

Let’s make this clean and logical.

Accountability Requires Understanding. Punishment Requires Nothing.

Accountability means a person:

  • Understands what they did

  • Understands why they did it

  • Understands the impact

  • Has the tools to do something different next time

Punishment requires none of that.

Punishment only requires power.

AZDOC skips the thinking part and goes straight to consequences. No inquiry. No analysis. No correction of underlying behavior. Just penalties.

That’s not accountability. That’s behavioral suppression.

AZDOC’s Model: Fear First, Growth Never

AZDOC operates on a lazy framework:

Rule broken → punishment issued → problem “solved”

Except it isn’t.

What actually happens is this:

  • People learn how to avoid getting caught

  • People learn how to shut up

  • People learn how to perform compliance

They do not learn how to self-regulate, self-correct, or take internal responsibility.

Fear teaches avoidance.
Accountability teaches ownership.

AZDOC teaches fear.

Punishment Without Tools Guarantees Repeat Behavior

This is basic cause-and-effect.

If you punish behavior without:

  • Teaching alternatives

  • Addressing trauma

  • Treating addiction

  • Regulating the nervous system

You are guaranteeing the behavior returns.

Punishment does not create capacity.
It only exposes the lack of it.

Then AZDOC labels the repeat behavior as proof the person is “incorrigible,” instead of proof the system did nothing to change conditions.

That’s not justice. That’s deflection.

Real Accountability Is Hard. Punishment Is Easy.

Real accountability requires time, effort, and humility.

It requires asking uncomfortable questions:

  • What skills does this person lack?

  • What trauma is driving this behavior?

  • What support is missing?

  • What environment reinforces failure?

Punishment avoids all of that.

You don’t have to understand people to punish them.
You just have to control them.

And AZDOC has chosen control every time.

The Result: People Leave With More Shame, Less Skill

Here’s the outcome AZDOC refuses to own:

People leave prison knowing what not to do — but with no idea how to do better.

They leave with:

  • More shame

  • Less trust

  • Worse emotional regulation

  • A deeper “us vs. them” mindset

And then the state pretends to be shocked when accountability doesn’t magically appear on release.

Accountability doesn’t grow in hostile environments.
It grows where people are taught how to carry responsibility without being crushed by it.

Let’s Be Honest About What’s Really Happening

AZDOC uses punishment to:

  • Appear tough

  • Maintain control

  • Avoid reform

  • Shift blame onto individuals

It’s optics. Not outcomes.

If punishment worked, recidivism wouldn’t be a constant.
If accountability were the goal, tools would exist.

They don’t. And that’s not an accident.

Bottom Line — Because This Isn’t Complicated

Punishment without accountability guarantees failure.
Accountability without tools is impossible.
And AZDOC offers punishment instead of both.

Tomorrow, we’re going to talk about how AZDOC treats trauma like defiance — and why that guarantees emotional collapse, not rehabilitation.

This series isn’t here to make anyone comfortable.
It’s here to make the math unavoidable.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Exposing the Deadly Reality at La Palma Correctional Facility: How Many More Have to Die?

For years, La Palma Correctional Facility in Eloy, Arizona, has been a hotspot for controversy, yet little has been done to address the rampant corruption, officer misconduct, and systemic failures that have turned it into a living hell for those incarcerated within its walls. Most recently, another inmate has died—one of many whose deaths could have been prevented if those in charge had taken real action instead of covering up their negligence. On January 2, 2025, I fought to have my husband moved out of La Palma due to the sheer volume of drugs flooding the yard, which were being brought in by correctional officers. I reported specific names to the Special Security Unit (SSU), thinking that doing the right thing would bring change. Instead, my concerns fell on deaf ears. Now, here we are, with more inmates losing their lives—many of these deaths are suspected overdoses, yet little to no investigation ever seems to result in actual change. A History of Negligence and Deaths This lates...
2 comments
Read more

The Beating You Weren’t Supposed to See: A Former AZDOC Officer Speaks Out

  Let me tell you something right now — that viral 3-minute video Fox 10 Phoenix aired last week? That wasn’t the whole story. That was just the tip of the blood-soaked iceberg. As a former Arizona Department of Corrections Officer, I know exactly what you're looking at in that video. You’re seeing the tail end of a brutal, calculated beatdown that started long before the cameras started rolling. That inmate? He’d already been dragged, pummeled, and bled out — by the time he was being chased down the entire length of the prison yard like a damn scene out of a gladiator movie. Fox 10’s report referred to it as a fight that “spilled out into the prison yard.” SPILLED OUT? Like someone knocked over a soda. No — this wasn’t some spontaneous scuffle. That man was hunted . Let’s Break Down the Bullsh*t Donna Hamm’s Comment: “The inmates are running the asylum, and that's not what the taxpayers in Arizona are paying for.” Newsflash: the inmates have always run the yard. Th...
Post a Comment
Read more

Inside the Lewis Bachman Unit: A Call for Reform

The Lewis Prison Complex, located in Buckeye, Arizona, comprises eight units, including the Bachman Unit, where my husband is currently incarcerated. This unit houses inmates under protective custody, ranging from minimum to medium security levels, with a capacity of 752 inmates across four dormitory-style buildings. ( corrections.az.gov ) Systemic Issues Plaguing the Facility Over the years, the Lewis Complex has been marred by numerous incidents that highlight systemic issues within its walls: Contraband Infiltration: In January 2025, a correctional officer named Berman Comon was arrested for allegedly smuggling drugs and contraband cellphones into the Rast Unit of Lewis Prison. Comon, who had served as a counselor for 11 years, reportedly received $5,000 per trip to bring in the illicit items. ( abc15.com ) Inmate Unrest: In November 2018, surveillance footage revealed inmates in the Rast Max Unit setting fires outside their cells, leading to the evacuation of the entire unit. Thi...
Post a Comment
Read more